21st Literature Lesson 1

Definition of Literature

• Derived from Latin word littera, meaning letters.
• Represents a body of written works in a particular language, country, or age.
• A significant human experience expressed in carefully chosen and arranged words.

Forms of Literature

• Prose: Ordinary written or spoken language without metrical structure.
• Biography: Life story written by someone who knows the person well.
• Autobiography: Account of one's life written by oneself.
• Essay: Short literary composition that is expository in nature.
• Novel: Long fictitious narrative made up of chapters with a complex plot.
• Short Story: Compressed fictitious narrative focusing on a single time, place, and action.
• Drama/Play: Consists of dialogues in prose, intended for stage performance.

Types of Drama

• Tragedy: Explores downfall, emotional betrayal, moral setbacks, and loss; emphasizes action over narrative.
• Comedy: Aims to induce humor or amusement; includes laughter.
• Melodrama: Distinguishes clearly between good and evil characters.

Definition of Poetry

• Formulates a concentrated imaginative awareness of experience through language selected for effect.
• Derived from Greek word poesis, meaning "making or creating."
• Intensifies language compared to ordinary usage.

Types of Poetry

• Narrative Poetry: Tells stories through verse, featuring plot, characters, and setting.
• Lyric Poetry: Short poem with song-like qualities, expressing personal emotions and feelings.
• Dramatic Poetry: A narrative in verse meant to portray a story or situation.

Elements of a Story

• Characters: Individuals, animals, or entities involved in the story.

  • Major Characters: Well-developed with significant conflicts and backstories.
  • Minor Characters: Less developed, serving supporting roles.
  • Round Characters: Complex, mysterious, and unpredictable.
  • Flat Characters: Stereotypical, lacking depth.

• Types of Characters:

  • Protagonist: Main hero or heroine.
  • Antagonist: Opposes the protagonist.
  • Deuteragonist: Second most important character.

• Setting: Refers to the time and place of the story.

• Conflict: A struggle or problem faced by characters.

  • Internal Conflict: Occurs within a character's mind.
  • External Conflict: Takes place between the character and outside forces.

Plot Structure

• Exposition: Introduces time, place, setting, and main characters.
• Inciting Incident: Triggers the chain of events.
• Rising Action: Develops problems faced by the main characters.
• Climax: The peak of the story with highest tension.
• Falling Action: Shifts in story following the climax, involving changes in the protagonist.
• Resolution: Settles the conflict and concludes the main plot.
• Denouement: French term meaning "to untie," providing closure to the narrative.

Narrative Order

• Chronological: Common order in narratives.
• Flashback: Author recounts events from a prior time.

Plot Devices

• Suspense: Feeling of excitement or tension as the plot unfolds.
• Surprise Ending: Unexpected twist that surprises the reader.
• Time Lapse: Skipping a period of time within the story.

Explore the foundations of 21st-century literature in this engaging quiz. Understand the definitions of prose, biography, and autobiography, as well as their significance in human expression. Test your knowledge of how these forms contribute to our understanding of written works.